Clamp display system
The specification and drawing figures describe and illustrate a clamp display system for displaying one or more articles on being removably fastened to a structural element.
The apparatus and method disclosed, illustrated and claimed in this document pertains generally to display systems. More particularly, the new and useful clamp display system solves the problem of displaying on a structural member of a structure an individual article or a plurality of interconnected articles by positioning the article or articles on one or more clamps that are removably mountable on a structural member.
BACKGROUNDDisplays, seasonable or substantially permanent, are a recurring need, and are arrayed for others to view as attractive, interesting, entertaining, or informative, among other reasons. Individual and/or interconnected strings of articles such as lights, ornaments, political advertisements, general advertisements, and strings of interconnected letters forming words, are nonexclusive examples of such displays.
At least one example of one or more articles and/or interconnected articles that may be detachably secured to the clamp display system for decoration or advertising is a string or cord of interconnected light bulbs, whether fluorescent, incandescent, LED's, or other luminaries. Another example of articles and/or interconnected articles that may be detachably secured to the clamp display system of this document are individual or connected ornaments, lighted or unlighted, such as Fourth of July ornaments. Yet another nonexclusive example of articles and/or interconnected articles that may be detachably secured to the clamp display system are advertisements, which may range between general commercial advertisements and political advertisements, and may include, for example, a string of individual letters assembled to form one or more words.
In the absence of the availability of the clamp display system, such articles and/or interconnected articles might be attached to a structure or to a structural member with cellophane tape, fasteners such as nails and other means that penetrate or mar the structure or structural member, and which degrade the finish of the structure or structural member.
Although some effort has been exerted in the past to provide means for displaying such interconnected articles, most have proven too complicated, too costly, and difficult to install. Accordingly, an unsolved problem exists in connection with providing an apparatus and system to fasten to a structural member either individual or interconnected articles. More particularly, a need exists in the industry for a new and useful clamp display system that is capable of fastening to a structural member one or more articles, including articles interconnected to a string, cord and/or electrically activatable string (in this document, individually and collectively, a “cord”) by positioning the article or articles on a plurality of clamps that are slidably and removably mountable on a member of the structure (in this document, a “structural member”).
SUMMARYThe clamp display system disclosed, illustrated, and claimed in this document addresses the above-stated needs by providing a system that includes one or more clamps. The one or more clamps include opposing jaws that are expandable and contractable. The clamps are removably engageable with and mountable on a structural member without the need for fastening means that affect or mar the structural member.
In one aspect, a spring activated paddle assembly is included. The spring activated paddle assembly is rotationally mountable on the one or more clamps. The spring may be mounted on the paddle assembly or on at least one of the opposing jaws of the clamp. In another aspect, a paddle assembly rotationally movable on the one or more clamps by use of an elastic band. The paddle assembly is rotationally mountable in a slot formed in at least one of the opposing jaws. Means for detachably securing one or more articles to the paddle assembly is mounted on the paddle assembly and/or formed in or attached to an exterior face of an opposing jaw.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the claimed subject matter as a whole, including the structure of the apparatus, and the cooperation of the elements of the apparatus, combine to result in a number of unexpected advantages and utilities. The structure and co-operation of structure of the clamp display system will become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the following description, drawing figures, and appended claims.
The foregoing has outlined broadly the more important features of the invention to better understand the detailed description that follows, and to better understand the contributions to the art. The clamp display system is not limited in application to the details of construction, and to the arrangements of the components, provided in the following description or drawing figures, but is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. The phraseology and terminology employed in this disclosure are for purpose of description, and therefore should not be regarded as limiting. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the conception on which this disclosure is based readily may be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems. The claims, therefore, include equivalent constructions. Further, the abstract associated with this disclosure is intended neither to define the clamp display system, which is measured by the claims, nor intended to limit the scope of the claims. The novel features of the clamp display system are best understood from the accompanying drawing, considered in connection with the accompanying description of the drawing, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
To the extent that the numerical designations in the drawing figures include lower case letters such as “a,b” such designations include multiple references, and the letter “n” in lower case such as “a-n” is intended to express a number of repetitions of the element designated by that numerical reference and subscripts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION DefinitionsAs used in this document the terms “expandable and contractable” modifying either the term clamp or the term “opposing jaws” means that the opposing jaws are made of a material capable of removably holding the clamps on a structural member on being formed or molded; the opposing jaws are made of a material allowing the opposing jaws to expand and contract a predetermined distance along an axis substantially perpendicular to the opposing jaws.
The term “interconnected articles” means and includes, as non-exclusive examples, a cord, string or comparable means (in this document, individually and collectively, a “cord”) for interconnecting a plurality of articles, such as lights, decorations, and other articles. The term includes, therefore, in addition to lights and decorations on an electrically activatable cord of lights at least letters that may be assembled into words for greetings, signs, announcements and similar articles.
The term “means for detachably securing the interconnected sequence of articles” means at least a hook, holder, clasp, slotted member, anchor, and hook-and-loop material, among similar means for placing an article or an interconnected series of articles on the rotationally movable paddle of the paddle assembly of an individual clamp or a plurality of clamps.
The term “structure” means a construction, building, bridge, framework, or any other object put together from many different parts; and the term “structural member” means a distinct part of a structure including, but not limited to, a beam, facia, eave, fence member, wall or similar structural unit of a building or other construction.
DESCRIPTIONAs illustrated in
More specifically, as illustrated by cross-reference between
Referring to
As also illustrated in
As illustrated by cross-reference between
As illustrated by cross-reference between
As indicated above, the clamp display system 10 illustrated by cross-reference between
In another aspect of a spring used to activate rotational motion of paddle 36 in slot 16, as illustrated by cross-reference between
As illustrated by cross reference between
As illustrated by cross-reference between
As also illustrated by cross-reference between
The paddle 36 of this aspect of the clamp display system 10 includes a ledge 76. Also included is a rib 78 that extends substantially perpendicular from the ledge 76. In operation, rib 78 forms a curved shape in cord 62a at the point of contact between rib 78 and the point of contact on cord 62a, which permits a user to snug the cord 62a against rib 76, thus contributing to detachably securing cord 62a on clamp display system 10. In addition, at least one hook 80a,b extends substantially vertically from the ledge 76 and is shaped to hold cord 62a, thus also contributing to detachably securing the cord 62a on the clamp display system 10. As illustrated, the at least one hook 80a,b is an S-shaped hook, but neither the shape nor structure of the at least one hook 80a,b is a limitation of this aspect of the clamp display system 10.
As also illustrated perhaps best in
As a person skilled in the art will appreciate, opposing jaws 14a,b, which are illustrated in
Claim elements and steps in this document have been numbered solely as an aid in understanding the description. The numbering is not intended to, and should not be considered as intending to, indicate the ordering of elements and steps in the claims. In addition, the clamp display system 10 shown in drawing
Means-plus-function clauses in the claims are intended to cover the structures described as performing the recited function that include not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.
Claims
1. An apparatus for displaying at least one article, comprising:
- a plurality of clamps formed with opposing jaws, wherein at least one of the plurality of opposing jaws is formed with a slot;
- a paddle assembly rotationally mountable in the slot;
- means for detachably securing one or more articles to a paddle; and
- an rotational motion assembly positioned on the apparatus in such a way to repositionably rotate the paddle assembly comprising an elastic band removably connectable to a bridge disposed on an opposing jaw and to an elbow disposed on the paddle.
2. An apparatus for displaying at least one article as recited in claim 1, wherein the opposing jaws are made from an expandable and contractible material.
3. An apparatus for displaying at least one article as recited in claim 1, wherein the opposing jaws are expandable and contractible a predetermined distance along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the exterior face of the opposing jaws.
4. An apparatus for displaying at least one article as recited in claim 1, wherein the opposing jaws are capable of exerting pressure on a structural member to overcome the force of gravity.
5. An apparatus for displaying at least one article as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of clamps is slidably and removably engageable on a structural member without use of fastening means that alter or penetrate the structural member.
6. An apparatus for displaying at least one article as recited in claim 1, wherein the means for detachably securing one or more articles to the paddle includes means selected from the group of securing means consisting of a hook, holder, clasp, slotted member, anchor, and hook-and-loop material.
7. An apparatus for displaying at least one article as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotational motion assembly is further adapted to compressively clutch the clamp on a structural member.
8. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord, comprising:
- a plurality of clamps having opposing jaws adapted to be removably mounted on a structural member;
- a paddle assembly rotationably mountable on at least one of the opposing jaws, the paddle assembly adapted to detachably secure the cord to the device; and
- means connectable to the paddle assembly for repositionably rotating the paddle assembly comprising an elastic band removably connectable to a bridge disposed on an opposing jaw and to an elbow disposed on a paddle and for detachably securing the plurality of articles to the device.
9. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 8, wherein the paddle further comprises an aperture formed in the paddle, and further wherein the elbow is formed in the aperture.
10. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 9, further comprising a notch formed in the first jaw of the opposing jaws adjacent the aperture.
11. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 10, wherein the bridge is adjacent the notch.
12. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 8, wherein the paddle further comprises a ledge.
13. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 12, further comprising a rib extending substantially perpendicular from the ledge.
14. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 13, further comprising at least one S-shaped hook extending substantially vertically from the ledge adapted to removably secure the cord.
15. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 8, further comprising a void formed in the second of the opposing jaws.
16. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 15, further comprising an arm formed in the void that extends substantially perpendicular from the exterior surface of the second of the opposing jaws.
17. A device for displaying a plurality of articles attached to a cord as recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of articles is a plurality of lights.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Apr 13, 2010
Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
Assignee: Marken Global, LLC (Espanola, NM)
Inventor: Kenneth L. Suazo (Espanola, NM)
Primary Examiner: Steven Marsh
Application Number: 12/758,944
International Classification: F21V 21/00 (20060101);